Parents of student killed in shop explosion praise school board’s new safety rules

Eric Leighton’s parents praised the Ottawa Catholic School Board on Thursday for implementing stricter safety procedures after their son’s death but said it was bittersweet for their family.

Chris Cobb, Ottawa Citizen

Updated: May 20, 2014

Eric Leighton was cutting into a metal barrel when sparks ignited vapour from a cleaning residue propelled the bottom half of the container into his face. He never regained consciousness and died a short time later in hospital

OTTAWA — Eric Leighton’s parents praised the Ottawa Catholic School Board on Thursday for implementing stricter safety procedures after their son’s death but said it was bittersweet for their family.

Eighteen-year-old Eric was cutting into a metal barrel with an electrically powered grinding tool in May 2011 when sparks ignited vapour from a residue of engine shampoo and propelled the bottom half of the container into his face.

He never regained consciousness and died a short time later in hospital.

Catholic board safety officer John Spencer told the fourth day of Eric’s inquest that safety regulations had been inadequate at the time of the explosion but that since then a series of constantly updated safety protocols mean that workshop projects have to be approved by both a teacher peer group and the principal at all 14 board high schools with workshops.

The board has also been fined $275,000 for breaches of health and safety regulations.

“It’s a common thing isn’t it?” Eric’s father Pat told the Citizen. “Things happen, and that’s how change happens. It’s too bad it had to be my son. The fact that they’ve made these changes is a step in the right direction, but it’s too bad they weren’t in place earlier because they seem pretty simple.”

Sheri Leighton said she hadn’t realized that the project Eric was working on — fashioning barbecues out of metal barrels — had not been subject to a formal or written approval process.

“It’s lot better now that they have sign-off,” she said. “For Eric it was just go as you see, do as you do> But having it down on paper with someone else looking at it is great. And it’s why we’re here — for the safety of the students.

“My No. 1 priority is not to have any more accidents in the schools. We’re here for all students.”

During the afternoon, the Leightons heard about Thursday’s accident involving a student at Notre Dame Catholic high school on Broadview Avenue.

“Our hearts go out to the family and the students of Notre Dame,” said Sheri. “We know what they’re going through. I just hope things turn out better for them they than they did for our family.”

The Catholic school board has banned the use of welding, grinding or cutting closed containers after admitting there was “limited risk assessment of student projects” and what risk assessment existed before Eric’s fatal accident was verbal, informal, and lacking detail.

There was a general lack of knowledge in the dangers of welding, cutting and grinding of metal throughout the board schools, and an inconsistent use of safety equipment.

The board’s safety controls are now among the most stringent Ontario,” Spencer said.

Scott Day, Eric’s technical workshop teacher, had purchased the barrels second-hand for the barbecue project, but they contained oil residue that had to be cleaned. His students used a volatile engine cleaner and water, but there was enough cleaner left in the sealed barrel to create the lethal vapour.

The board has now tightened up all purchasing, which must be done through a formal process.

“There should never be another incident like Eric’s death,” said Spencer, who said the changes have created a much safer environment for students.

The inquest continues Friday with its final witnesses.

Jury members will then decide whether they need to make safety recommendations to Ontario schools.

This Week's Flyers

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.